Super-Senior says it’s going to be okay

Amanda Thomas
Lifestyles Editor
act6730@lhup.edu

No one wants to stay in college longer than the promised four years, but sometimes it’s necessary. Maybe you changed your major a dozen times, maybe you failed a class or two and need to retake them and it set you back, maybe you took on a second major or another minor or maybe you just needed some extra time to take your classes. No matter what the case may be, you’re still stuck here longer than you intended. And it stinks.

I’m a super senior because I’m earning a dual degree, B.S. and B.A. I’ve taken one to three summer classes since my freshman year, taken 18 credits multiple times, and even went up to 21 credits at one point. No matter how many classes I took or how much I tried to keep my graduation date, there were still more classes to take. So here I am, graduating a semester late, even though I thought it would be a full year late. But it’s not as bad as I thought.

I thought that I wouldn’t have any friends left. When I took on my second degree freshman year I truly believed that I would be alone. I was wrong. There are more students like me who are graduating late. Some of the friends I met and went through college with had to stay late for their own reasons and I made friends with others who were in the same boat as us. Even if I didn’t know any other students who needed to stay late, I didn’t even realize how many friends I had in other graduating years. Not only did I have my teammates, but walking around campus, I realized how many people I really knew, and I realized I wasn’t alone. You don’t know how many people you have in your life until you stop focusing on the few you continuously surround yourself with.

I thought the senioritis would overwhelm me and I would want to give up. Not necessarily. While yes, I am very tired of doing homework, giving presentations, and taking tests, I’m still doing it. It’s like traveling through a dark tunnel to the light of graduation at the end. Just keep plugging along. While I know I’ve been here extra-long, it doesn’t really feel like it. It’s just another semester.

I thought the semester would drag on because I’m not supposed to be here. This is partially true. The semester went by at the same speed it normally does because I keep myself busy and I’ve had an insane amount of work to do this semester. But, at the same time, it’s dragging on because I keep counting the weeks and days until I’m done. The closer I get, the more I started obsessing over it and now these last three weeks feel like they’ll never end. You know the saying, “A watched pot never boils?” Well it’s the same here except, “A watched date doesn’t get closer” or “Watching the clock makes it tick slower.”

Yes, being here for an extra semester or maybe even an extra year or two may sound like it sucks, but it really isn’t that bad. And you get your degree out of it. It’s worth it. So if you’re looking at your proposed graduation date and thinking that you’re not going to make it, don’t worry. It’s okay. Just make the most of your time here. Don’t waste it. Do something. Get involved, it’s never too late. Get a job or make a new circle of friends. Spice things up. Do something different. And in the end, you’re going to graduate.

Even though I’ve been here for what feels like forever, I’ve had some of the best experiences of my life here and I’m going to miss it. But at the same time, BYE, LOCK HAVEN, SEE YOU NEVER.